


We'll Be Your Family Now

by Rabbit (Majorminor2242)



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Hiccup Leaves Before The Final Training Test, Dragon Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Dragon Hybrids, Dragon Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Kinda But Complicated, M/M, Protective Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Toothless has a Family, Toothless is a Prince
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21697204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Majorminor2242/pseuds/Rabbit
Summary: Hiccup couldn't do it. No matter how he looked at it, being chosen to kill the Nightmare as the victor of dragon training had backed him into a corner, and without either sacrificing Toothless or himself, he saw no possible way to change the minds of the Vikings of Berk. The moment he went out there, he'd either be killed by the dragon (since he knew he couldn't bring himself to kill it) or strung up and tortured, executed, or shipped away as an outcast/possible slave for having gone 'mad' and betraying his people to 'side with the dragons'.It wasn't fair that the dragons were so misunderstood, and it was even worse that Vikings were as stubborn as they are...So he saw no choice but to leave."Take me away from here bud. We can't stay any longer, and I already made up my decision. I can't risk losing you. We'll just have to... We'll just have to take on the Queen ourselves. And pray that Astrid doesn't tell my dad first, otherwise there's going to be a lot of bloodshed..."Toothless only gave a small croon of empathy, before taking off into the night. Unaware of the journey about to take place.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Original Female Character(s), Light Fury/Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 308





	1. Human Oddity

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is admittedly an overused plot beginning, however! I plan to really diverge from canon in… literally every way starting right at the beginning of chapter one ;)  
> (Canon divulgence begins after Astrid finds out about Toothless. She didn't keep calm like Hiccup had hoped, and ran to the village likely to tell them what he had done and they had seen, and so Hiccup and Toothless left instead of going after her.)

The night was especially chilly -big understatement- and Hiccup and Toothless had been flying for about six hours. It was also beginning to brighten, allowing the glow of the Aurora Borealis to sparkle away as the first sheen of sunlight coated the horizon like a rapidly engulfing blanket of warmth and light. Fish were already beginning to swarm like imposing shadows within the water below, and the crisp, slightly damp breeze felt somewhat calming through Hiccup's scruffy hair.

Yet, despite all these positive blessings of a dawn of change that seemed to be raining down from the Gods themselves, Hiccup felt... melancholic.

"Hey, Bud?" his voice carried gently over the wind that carved open from majestic black wings. Toothless heard easily nonetheless due to his more fine-tuned hearing.

He leant his neck backwards slightly, still facing ahead but showing he was listening.

It took a few moments for Hiccup to continue, deep in thought and indecisive on whether he should speak what was on his mind.

A gentle slap from one of Toothless' ear flaps coaxed him into action.

"What... what's gonna happen now?" he halfheartedly asked. He knew the Dragon couldn't respond, but he wasn't exactly looking for a verbal answer. Just one of those iconic gummy smiles that would reassure his frayed nerves that everything would be alright and that he'd always be safe with his best friend.

Practically reading his rider like a book, Toothless responded exactly how Hiccup silently begged for, and with that he fell back into the saddle, sliding back to peacefully glance around at some of the small islands they were passing. The silence was comfortable, which he was glad for, however all that was on his mind was how surreal everything still felt.

He really was leaving Berk.

_Probably forever._

He was pulled from his thoughts when Toothless snapped his neck sideways, reacting to either something he had seen, smelt or heard.

"Bud? What's wrong?" Now alert and pushing past his suffocating thoughts, he followed the gaze of his now stationary dragon, squinting at what appeared to be several blurs heading to cross their path. Hiccup wasn't sure what to think when the myriad of dragons seemed to steer slightly to head directly towards the duo no since Toothless was simply remaining silent, seemingly in deep consideration.

After what Hiccup guessed was Toothless making up his mind, the dragon seemed to glance back at him with a shaky but reassuring smile, before lurching towards the incomers.

It took a few seconds to close enough distance for Hiccup to see more clearly just who/what were approaching, however when he realised that the shapes were still just as black as they seemed before, he realised that it was no longer to do with his sight at the distance.

No; these dragons were _small, black and fast._

"Uhh... Bud, are those other Night Furies, or am I having a young-life-crisis with poor eyesight?" he leant down to the dragons ears, but all he received in response was a slow-to-start-up purr, telling him to just try to relax. It didn't exactly calm Hiccup to see Toothless acting so unsure for once, however all he could do was trust that he'd be kept safe. He doubted Toothless would _ever_ lead him into anything potentially dangerous without reason -as he was about to find out.

As soon as the two parties had reached each other, Hiccup already found himself flailing in the air, plummeting like the human stone he was without wings.

"AHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHH _TOOOOOOOOOTTTHHHLLLEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS_!!!" he screamed as the world spun. His chest pulsed with pain from the force that had slammed into him only moments prior, and he could only think about how glad he was to have bent below the vicious jaws _before_ they tore his head off.

Not that ducking had really saved his life for more than a few free falling seconds to think things through. He thought about Berk as the wind whipped his neck back. He thought about his admittedly childish crush on Astrid as the sea gained closer. However, the thing he thought about most of all was Toothless. Every memory he had of the dragon had been nothing but incredible, from the way they formed their uncanny bond to their first flight together. The way the dragon reacted; like an overgrown, fire breathing lizard/cat mixed in with some human traits he picked up from yours truly.

These few moments weren't enough time to fully appreciate everything Hiccup had experienced within the last few weeks, yet al he could do was close his tearing eyes and picture the dragon who changed his miserable life within a single month. Shown him the truth. Shown him happiness. Shown him compassion and friendship.

Only feet from the bone-shattering water below, Hiccup felt himself enveloped by leathery wings. Of course, he hardly had to guess who it was that had just saved his life once they hit the water, as he merely felt himself jolt harshly against the soft underbelly below him.

Within seconds, however, his world was thrown into panic once again as he remembered a very particular fact about land-dragons.

_They can't swim without momentum to carry them back out of the water._

Wings thrashed below him, kicking up bubbles within the water and only managing to waste precious oxygen. Toothless had no idea how to flip over and swim back upwards, held back by wide wings and a heavy tail. Hiccup felt Toothless writhe and struggle for only a few moments later, before eventually kicking Hiccup upwards and out of his reach. The dragon knew he couldn't float back up, but he wasn't about to let Hiccup drown trying to save him.

No, Hiccup would live, no matter what. Otherwise he'd be breaking the one promise he'd ever made to anyone other than himself.

Then it all happened so fast that everything until then had seemed _slow in comparison._ Hiccup watched as the water around him exploded in foam. He could no longer see anything and was thrown around in the currents of the water even more nauseatingly than when he first barrel-rolled with Toothless. Somehow, he still found himself choking on the air as his head breached the surface. The sky was blinding and the crashing waves kept knocking his small frame around, but he didn't have time to think about how uncomfortable and close to death he was.

"TOOTH*hack*LESS!" He fought back the urge to scream again as his throat filled with seawater almost immediately, but he didn't care.

About to dive back underwater with only half his maximum lung capacity filled, he found himself thrown up in the air _one last time,_ but this time he was actually sent gliding just above the water level with a wave that exploded in black. Barely thinking to close his already irritated eyes and waterlogged lungs, he pulled up to the surface one last time with the last oxygen he had, before seeing black cloud his vision in a vignette shroud.

"Tooth...less-" he faded like a lone candle eaten by black.

* * *

_:: GO BACK RIGHT NOW! I CANNOT LEAVE HIM! ::_ Toothless _screeched._

 _:: We are not going back just to save some squishy two-legs who rides you like a horse! Where the Hel have you been Artenyx and what in the name of the Moon Goddess happened to find yourself enslaved by that puny little thing?! ::_ The dragon holding him in the air like a fish glowered, however was taken aback by the violent way he thrashed in her claws and snarled.

 _:: I. SAID. GO. **BACK**! :: _his voice held more unbridled fury than Mistwing had ever heard before, and she felt somewhat intimidated if she was honest.

Looking over to their older brother, their eyes connected as they both glanced warily at the writhing dragon below them, before the brother grunted in exasperation. _:: Sun God damnit- FINE, Artenyx I'll go get the two-legs now if he's that important to you -if he's still alive that is-, but you have a LOT of explaining to do when we get back to the den I hope you realise, so stop struggling before you actually drown this time! ::_ Shadow groaned, before diving back to pick up the barely floating, limp land-monkey in a paw. He felt disgust rise in his throat at the thought of saving the thing that rode his younger brother like a pet, but he realised that Artenyx really would have turned feral on even his own kin if they didn't retrieve the two-legs.

_What kind of monumental debt did he owe to the thing?_

Catching back up to Mistwing, who was dragging slightly due to an extra dragon's-worth of weight below her, he then asked the question that had been resting heavily on his mind as to why his younger brother was unable to catch the air by himself earlier.

 _:: Why can't you fly, Artenyx?!What did this do to you? ::_ he interrogated, floating around too find where the problem lay, until his eyes settled on the worst possible outcome. Right by his brother's tail, he saw that one of the two tail fins was folded; brown and unnatural. It was connected to some sort of saddle horses would wear, on the dragon's back, connected by vines of some sort. _:: Oh gods... Oh gods how did you lose your_ _tail fin?! ::_ he couldn't refrain from swearing loudly to himself, staring painfully at the dragon, before turning his attention to the boy in his grip.

Before his thoughts could continue, Toothless interrupted his brother. _:: Don't you dare drop him, Shadow. He is not the one to blame, it was his people's oppressive views which drove him to make a mistake -one which he has made every effort to correct. ::_

Shadow could not believe his brother's words. _:: Not its- What do you mean it's not its fault?! It tore away the most important part to a dragon's soul! The connection we have to the sky is rivalled only by birds of prey! But this... this_ urchin _has taken it away and enslaved you with something that clearly only he can control your flight with! Is that why you want it alive? Just so you can still fly when_ **it** _lets you?! ::_ he let out one of the most enraged snarls he had ever felt burst from his throat.

_This little-_

_:: Shadow, shut up right now and let me speak for the boy who's life is hanging in your paws right now and cannot defend himself! ::_ Toothless growled, only slightly pacified when he was met by somewhat patient ears. _:: Now, this boy, Hiccup, has possibly the biggest heart I've ever seen in all of dragon-kind and more. **He** took my flight away in nothing more than self defence when I was enslaved by a Beta Queen in a nest south of here. I was forced to raid the viking villages as I was pulled under her mind control slightly, only able to resist it from entirely consuming me due to my stronger mental barriers as a Night Fury. However, I still spent many years under her spell, but one night when attacking his village- :: _he gestured to the boy _::-he shot me down. Yes, I lost my tail fin in the fall, however I also was freed from that demonic cannibal's control. If it was not for Hiccup, I'd still be a slave currently. ::_

 _:: Then why are you still with him? You said you were 'freed'. ::_ the dragon scoffed with a sneer.

_:: Well, during the first moments of having my own mind to myself once again, I found myself eating forest floor and tied up in one of his inventions. I was trapped and easy prey, and he found me. I remember thinking about how weak he looked. I thought it was shameful that I was dying to the hands of such a puny creature- ::_

_:: And what? He let you live with an oath that you'd serve him 'till death then?! ::_

_:: Damnit Shadow, stop interrupting and let me finish! ::_ Toothless huffed, scowling at the dragon dead-set on finding some reason to kill his most important friend. Then again, Toothless could hardly be mad, since... he was once like that also. _:: He held the tiniest of metal claws above his head, speaking of proving himself to his tribe. He reeked of fear, uncertainty, and... conflict. He didn't want to kill me, I could see it in his eyes. The only reason he was trying in the first place was to be accepted by his people. ::_ Toothless sighed at the memory. _:: I simply closed my eyes and waited for what felt like several suns, but... ::_

 _:: He didn't kill you. ::_ Mistwing's voice surprised him from above, but all he could do was nod as his little sister bent her neck to look down at him in silent observation.

 _:: No... No he didn't. He thought about simply leaving, however I assume he realised that I would die if left there, so... He_ freed _me. Nothing said, he didn't ask me to serve him, nor did he ask me to 'let him live' himself. I suppose he could only have assumed -or prayed- that I would let him live in return as he cut the ropes in a silent panic. The moment he had finished cutting most of them, I snapped the last and pinned him to a rock. All I could think about was what game he was playing at, what reason he had for letting me live. ::_

Toothless took a long, deep breath before he continued. _:: I thought about killing him at first. Of course I did, I still saw him like every other dragon would: The enemy. However... As I was looking into his eyes, I saw more than I ever saw before in any pray I've hunted. His eyes were not dull like some deer or fish, no, they were full of emotions other than fear. I saw betrayal, I saw indignity. Annoyance buried beneath a poor defence of exterior anger, and fear flushed with expectations of a quick death, and yet... I never saw regret. The most prominent emotion, however... Was loneliness._

_I saw myself._

_So I instead roared in his face, hoping to scare him enough to never look for me again, before trying to take off. You can imagine that didn't go well without my fin, as I hit several trees midair before falling over a ledge and into a cove, where I spent the next several hours pitying myself for a disappointing death stuck in a ditch in the ground, with no way out and only a pond to sustain me with limited supply of fish._

_It was the next day when he came again. I wasn't sure how long he'd been up there, but I heard him drop something accidentally and noticed him studying me. I was quite perplexed at the notion of a Viking that did not threaten me, so I simply... left him. Let him do whatever he wanted, so long as he stayed well away. ::_

  
The group remained silent for ten minutes, mulling over the recounted events so far, until Mistwing spoke up again since Shadow seemed to deep in thought to speak. _:: What happened after that? ::_ She wasn't quite sure what she felt about the two-legs so far, however she would admit that ~~it~~ _he_ seemed harmless enough -for now.

 _:: The next day, he came back with what I assumed was a peace offering. He had tried to enter with one of those large wooden things they use to block attacks, however it got stuck in the narrow entrance to the cove so he left it. His only_ _defence from my bone-melting blasts and he simply... crept right in, reeking of fear, but curiosity. I remember hiding, and almost pounced on him for the fish, however I was only repelled by the metal on his waist. ::_

 _:: AHA! See? He was planning to gut you still by tricking you into dropping your guard! The only reason he didn't kill you while bound was probably because he was unsure and too cowardly. ::_ Shadow smirked confidently.

Toothless ignored him, directing his speech to Mistwing which he knew annoyed his brother deservedly. _:: He threw the knife away and into the pond as soon as I made myself noticed and pointed it out. It was as if he had forgotten he even had it on him in the first place. ::_ Toothless grinned at the gobsmacked trill that emanated from his brother.

_:: He... He just... threw his only weapon away the moment you asked? B-but... he's a squidgy, scaleless, clawless, fireless, dull-toothed twig! Even for his species he is clearly weak and scrawny, just look at him! ::_

_:: I looked at the situation that way as well for a while. Why would he place himself defenceless in front of one of the most dangerous dragon species in existence? ::_ he chuckled at the memory. _:: Either way, I ate the fish. I had no choice as I was going to die soon anyway whether it was poisoned or not. But it wasn't poisoned, nor was it barbed. It was simply just... a fish. As bland as that sounds, it was surprising to smell nothing wrong with it at the time, but I was_ _starving so I ate it. ::_

 _:: So he really didn't threaten you once? Except when you both first met, he never did anything suspicious or dangerous towards you once? ::_ Mistwing asked incredulously.

_:: Nope. In fact, he talked about how difficult it was for him to get the fish. He likes to talk to himself quite a lot, I think it's because at the time he was incredibly lonely and it was one of his quirks that helped him manage. But anyway, he always talked aloud, and for a while I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or not, but eventually I realised that he was more intelligent that I thought, since he clearly had a feeling I could understand him at least a little from the start. ::_

_:: Wow... So he knew you could understand him? ::_

_:: I mean, I can't speak for him, but I think so, yes. Whilst he may not be strong, he's very smart, far smarter than you or I. It's the only way he managed to restore my flight. ::_

_:: And how did he do that, anyway? ::_ Shadow butted in gliding slightly closer to Toothless as the topic that bugged him the most was brought up. His eyes and ears twitched with rapture.

_:: Well, practically only one full cycle of the suns (*week) he appeared one day with a container of fish. It was delicious -forgoing the eel that was buried in it- ::_

_:: AHA! Okay, smart guy, how was THAT not threatening to you? Sounds like he tried to poison you to me. ::_

_:: Bearing in mind that fact that his people had no experience in dragons other than combat, he didn't know it was lethal to us, however the moment I showed just how bad it was, he simply picked it up non-threateningly and threw it into the small lake at the centre of the cove. ::_

Once again, Toothless found himself smirking at the disbelieving gape that Shadow displayed. The dragon could do nothing but splutter weakly, before sighing. _:: Has_ he _always been like this...? ::_ he asked quietly. Toothless smiled slightly at the use of the pronoun and little contempt lacing his brother's voice.

He had come around just as Artenyx had, and knowing how similarly they had changed their views made him laugh internally.

_:: Yes, he has always been like this. Anyway, back to the topic, he had brought that pile of fish to distract me all so that he could attach this fake fin to my tail. At first I didn't notice, blinded by hunger, however the moment it was fully on, I spread my wings in realisation at the rebalanced weight back there and took off. I was about to smash straight into a wall until he opened up the fin in the wind whilst still holding onto my tail for dear life. Looking back on it now, I feel kinda bad and dumb about that... I had no idea he was back there trying not to fall to his death until we had done a wobbly but exhilarating lap around in the sky, however the moment I realised someone was controlling the direction of my flight, I looked back and threw him from my tail into the lake in the cove. ::_ Toothless snorted, closing his eyes. _:: Let's just say we_ both _hit the water._ Hard. _::_ the flat tone of his voice incited a snort from both his counterparts.

He then continued, _:: After that day, he went and made this saddle. Of course, at first I wanted nothing to do with it, thinking about how shameful it'd be to be_ _ridden like a horse as you had said, however... it wasn't like that at all. ::_ The pair shot him inquisitive, doubtful looks, silently asking for him to explain.

 _:: Okay, sure, the first few dozen attempts of the basics were... bad- ... okay no, they were **horrific**... :: _Again this incited laughter. _:: For quite a while, he was about as hopeless at flying as we are at swimming. I lost count of how many trees we hit after a rope tying us to a tree stump snapped, and we were flung from a peaceful, on-the-spot practice glide into a summersault through the air. ...Honestly, I think I lost a few memories from childhood when we hit that boulder... ::_ Toothless grumbled jokingly.

Okay, that did it. Both Mistwing and Shadow were struggling to stay airborne with the choking fits they were now having, and at one point Shadow placed Hiccup lightly on Mist's back before taking hold of Artenyx. She was clearly starting to strain under his weight and wasn't quite as strong as the two brothers were -though it was still damn impressive that she had carried him for so long anyway.

 _:: Oh my wings, he sounds hopeless! ::_ Shadow guffawed.

_:: Mmm. But about a week later, something really strange happened... ::_

_:: Strange? What do you mean? What happened? ::_ Mistwing glanced over too him in worry.

_:: Well, he had written out these markings on some sort of flat, bendy material -the same one he uses for that 'notebook' he always has- ::_

_:: What's a 'notebook'? ::_

_:: ... Don't ask, I don't really understand it much more than you do. It's just a collection of very thin material bundled together, which he uses to do these drawings on with black sticks of soot. I think he called that charcoal... Anyway, he had this thing, right? And I'm pretty certain he had on it all the different positions he needed to know to control my fin, such as the angle for take off, landing, turning, etcetera... But when we first took off, it was a slightly bumpy yet tame flight. Hit a few rock columns at the speed of a hum-wing (Gronkle) and skimmed the sea a little. At one point, we both got confident and began to rise really high. I remember him shouting in happiness, and all I could think about was how the wind felt so good hitting my face at that speed once again, however that's when everything fell apart._ ** _Literally._ ** _::_

_:: Oh Gods, what happened? ::_

_:: Well, I think the thing with all the positions on it came loose and was blown away by the wind. He screamed out to stop, which I did, however the moment that happened, the latch keeping him attached to me unhooked, and the next moment we were both plummeting through the sky. A dragon that can no longer fly straight alone, and a boy who has no wings in the first place -and we were both at mountain level. ::_ Toothless mulled it over, before continuing. _:: I'd say that that was the most terrifying moment of my life, however even that paled in comparison to what happened right after. He managed to get back on me and fix the fin mere dragon-lengths from the steep treetops on the side of a mountain. I was barely managing to hit the air and glide at such a strong angle, and I was scared that my wings were going to pop out from their sockets or tear, however one second we're both screaming, and the next Hiccup is leaning forward on my back and glaring at the looming rock column maze ahead of us with determination. ::_

_:: Wait, he just changed that drastically? ::_

_:: Yes, I think it was a survival instinct kicking in. At some point, he let go of the sheet he had risked everything for and simply steered with me in absolutely perfect tandem. I'm telling you, it was as though we could read each-other's minds. We went from basic flight manoeuvres to barrel-rolls between jagged rocks and twists and loops between columns of death -all at the speed of sound- and all within a single moment, and we've been perfectly synced like that ever since. ::_

_:: ... Wow. That's... ::_

_:: Strange... ::_ Shadow finished off Mistwing's sentence. _:: Wait... you_ _don't think it's beca- ::_

_:: Honestly, I have no idea if it is because of the old legends or not. But to answer your next question: yes I have my suspicions that he is. ::_

Neither Mistwing nor Shadow knew what to say after hearing what Artenyx implied. It was practically unheard of of this actually being true and happening, and had become a myth within dragon society for a very long time due to it seeming like nothing more than a story or suspicion, but perhaps this boy was more than what meets the eye...

Or perhaps they were all just overlooking things a little too much.

The trio fell into a silent agreement of calm for the remainder of the trip, all mulling over the thoughts in their head. They were already getting very close to the den now, and whilst Mistwing and Shadow had been sent on a mission in the first place (which was why they were flying so far out), they thought that the return of the prince of Night Furies, their own brother, was important enough to postpone anything else.

Hopefully this _Hiccup_ child woke up soon, however, since it would be quite a lot harder to defend him from wronged execution if he was still unconscious in a den of NíoDýrs (*Night Furies), and whilst they may have changed their earlier views on the boy, many others won't have that same acceptance.


	2. From Dawn 'till Dusk

_:: I know it's been quite a few years since we last saw_ _each other… What's happened while I was gone? Are mother and father alright? ::_ Toothless questioned when they were getting much closer to the den now.

Shadow sighed regretfully. _:: The biggest thing you should know about is that… the pack was attacked by the Light Furies only a few months ago. Mother was attacked and badly wounded, and her wound even got infected. It's… unlikely she'll survive for much longer but none of us nor any of the dragons around know of a cure for what it is that she has. She's… been praying that she could see you one last time, Artenyx. You know you were always mother's favourite, even if she'd never admit it. When you disappeared, though, she refused to believe you had or would die. She told everyone with such…_ conviction _that you were still alive, and that somehow, you'd return. Eventually, the rest of the pack that thought you had been killed began planning for the day you returned, that's how convincing she was. ::_

 _:: She's missed you, Arty. I don't think I've ever seen mother more down in my life. ::_ Mistwing sighed.

Toothless smiled lightly at the old nickname she used for him. He had almost forgotten it from both the Red Death's mind control as well as how often he was now referred to as 'Toothless'. _:: By the way, guys, ::_

 _:: Mmm? ::_ both dragons glanced at him curiously.

_:: I don't mind you calling me Artenyx at all, since it IS my birth name, however... ::_

Shadow groaned. _:: Please don't tell me that that ridiculous name used earlier was what he calls you. ::_ As much as he hated it, he found himself staring at his brother, pleading for it not to be where he was leading with this.

 _:: It's not that bad! ::_ The Fury defended himself, _:: It grew on me, I actually kinda began to like it! ::_

 _:: But_ 'Toothless'. _That's honestly the worst name I've ever heard in my life! Why couldn't he at least have called you something cool and fitting for a NíoDýr?! Why on Celestial's wings would his first thought for 'Hmmm, what should I name this dragon that's not killing me'? be TOOTHLESS?! Like, why did he think more about your retractable teeth than he did of our pitch black scales, purple explosive plasma blasts or our unrivaled_ _flight and senses?! I could think of countless simplistic names for all of those things that even a stupid two-le- ::_ Shadow was cut off with a growl. _:: Fine,_ admittedly seemingly smarter-than-average _two-legs could think of! ::_

_:: Will you shut up already? His own name is Hiccup, for goodness sake. And anyway, it's because the first thing he ever saw me do was go from gumless to sharp, serrated teeth when I snatched the fish out of his hands. It was actually pretty hilarious remembering the look on his face. He was in the middle of saying 'I could have sworn you had teeth...' when I tore it from him. I think he was close to fainting from being a claw-length away from losing his fingers! But anyway, I could never tell him my real name anyway, and so Toothless simply stuck. I've simply come to accept the name, if mostly due to how sincere he is when saying it. ::_

_:: Then if you'd prefer, I'll call you Toothless, brother? If it means a lot to you I do not mind, whatever you want. ::_ Mist asked sincerely.

_:: No, I really do not mind which you call me. I still go by both, it's simply been quite a while since I've heard anyone use my birth name, however I have no problem with either. ::_

_:: Well, maybe I'll just mix it up a little then. You're going to have to explain this all to our parents again, you know? ::_

Toothless sighed. :: _Yes, but what's a little story telling going to harm? ::_

_:: I suppose that's true. I must say again though Toothless, even if Shadow won't admit it out loud to you, we've all really missed you. I'm glad you really were safe and are coming back home now. ::_

_:: Yes... I was a little unsure of how to get home, and whether I even should considering Hiccup since I could not leave him, however I'm glad that you both were the ones that found me, since now I know that there's at least some chance the others will come to accept Hiccup. ::_

_:: Well, after all we've heard, we'll defend him with you. Isn't that right, Shadow? ::_

Shadow merely grumbled about how _'he was going to be grilled the most for being the oldest'._

After a few minutes of silence, the trio were alerted to a meek groan coming from the boy on Mistwing's back. Toothless asked Shadow to lift him up into sight so the boy didn't freak out too much, but boy was this going to take some effort...

"U-urgh... Wh-where am- OH DEAR ODIN!" His eyes bulged as the first sight Hiccup was met with was the rapidly passing water hundreds of meters below. He found himself bent over the back of a black dragon like a sack of grain, and it took very little time to realise that it couldn't be Toothless carrying him since he can't fly. "Oh gods, Toothless!" His gaze lifted, searching frantically in his surroundings, before finally settling on the two Night Furies flapping slightly above him in front of his face. "Ohhhhh thank goodness you're alright, bud... I thought you were going to drown!"

Their eyes connected briefly, and Hiccup could see an apology within Toothless' sheepish expression. It was only then, that the situation they were in finally dawned fully upon Hiccup.

"Oh dear Odin _Night Furie **s**_. Toothless, where are they taking us? Wait, how did I even get up here?! Are they hostile or do you know them- _a-are they gonna kill me?!"_ The boy began to hyperventilate, writhing a little on the dragon's back as he tried figure out what was going to happen.

The soft croon from his best friend calmed him enough to stop moving, however. _:: Hiccup, we'll be fine. No-one will get close to you when we reach the den, don't worry. ::_ Even with the language barrier, Hiccup felt relaxed by the tone Toothless held, as well as the small smile he gave him. _:: Hey Shadow, do you think you can get me close enough to him so we can start flying? I'll make sure he knows to follow you and not deviate. ::_

 _:: Uhh... It's kind of a weird angle, hold on, Mist, let's stop for a second. ::_ Both dragons halted above the air, before slowly sliding closer to one another. Toothless then beckoned Hiccup to try to jump over.

"Uhhh... Bud... You do realise that if I miss, I die, right? A fall from this distance will still kill me in water..." he glanced down at the waves far below.

One of Mistwing's ear flaps slapped him gently, surprising him but also giving him courage. "Does that mean you'll catch me if I fall?" All he received was a trill. "O-okay... well, get ready to drop, Toothless and I'll hook in mid fall. We should be able to level out before hitting the water... I think." he said with a quaky smile towards Shadow, admittedly surprising the dragon at how the boy treated him like a truly intelligent being and equal unlike all other two-legs.

Shadow then blinked. _:: Wait, did he really just say for you both to try and start flying from free falling mid-air? Is he TRYING to kill you both?! ::_

 _:: Trust me, Shadow, this is hardly the first time this has happened. Don't worry, as long as he reaches my back, we'll be up in the air well before the water. Just drop me the moment he jumps. ::_ Toothless was about to question his silence however he realised that his brother was merely waiting for the signal. He trusted them, which was good.

Toothless nodded towards Hiccup. "You ready? Alright... Okay, jumping now... Three, two, one, NOW!" Hiccup leaped from the back of the Night Fury below him, flailing towards his target at the same time that Toothless began to slip from the other Night Fury's claws. He almost missed, however managed to catch onto the saddle by a few fingers, just able to pull himself down. He then immediately clicked his feet into the stirrups, before reconnecting the latch that helped stop him from falling off, and Toothless opened his wings wide as both tail fins spread open.

"YEAAHHH! Woohoo!" He shouted as the wind whipped past them, only ten feet from the water. Toothless had a very similar reaction, except with a roar of pleasure.

Halting midair, the duo swivelled to face the other two dragons, who's faces were morphed into shock and awe. Both of them had to refrain from laughing at their disbelieving faces. _:: See? I told you he knows what he's doing! ::_

 _:: ... Clearly... ::_ Shadow breathed in poorly concealed awe, before shaking his head. _:: Anyway, you ready to go then? ::_

_:: Yeah, You fly and I'll follow, Hiccup will get the gist of it. ::_

_:: Alright. ::_ Shadow began to tilt forward, taking off in the same direction as before.

Toothless leant forward as well, inciting a small gasp of realisation. "Ohhh, you want to follow them?" He received a nod. "Well, alright then. I trust you bud, and I can't believe there really are other Night Furies out there! Let's go! What a great start to our journey!" the pair shot forward without delay, Mistwing keeping up beside them.

After a minute or two, the three dragons were all side by side, gliding through the glow of the sunset, all chatting about other things as Hiccup enjoyed the view.

Suddenly, Hiccup heard Toothless growl, which snapped his attention. He looked down to see what it was, however was surprised to see the Night Fury to their left looking quite smug and confident -for a dragon-, and looking between both him and Toothless whilst flicking his tail fin.

Hiccup knew immediately what was happening. "Did he just challenge you to a race?" He presumed the one on the right was male, as it was built the same as Toothless, just a fraction larger, scales a fraction of a shade darker than Toothless, and with blue eyes, unlike the Fury on the right, who was lithe and sleeker, with less sharp, more rounded features and misty, purple eyes.

All he received was a smirk from the dragon, who was looking at him, before both angled themselves readily to rocket forward. Hiccup had no idea whether they could really win since he broke the aerodynamic shape Toothless had by being on his back, however he'd do his best to not embarrass Toothless nonetheless.

"Alright then, on my countdown, alright?" He received two nods and growls. "Okay: three, two, _one_ , **GO!** " They shot forward instantly slicing through the air.

The dragon on the left had a slightly better start, pulling ahead slightly due to less air resistance, however this was when Hiccup grinned. "Alright bud, you know what to do!" He pulled on the rope that controlled the fin with his foot, before clicking it into a specific angle which opened up the fin perfectly rigid, terrible for taking turns, yet great for catching air and flying straight. Hiccup leant forward as much as he could, and he felt the dragon begin to pump his wings, faster and faster.

They were now going at the same speed as the other dragon, only still a little behind. "Come on Tooth! Come on bud, you can go faster I know you can!" Leaning down, Hiccup then enacted his secret plan which Toothless knew he had. _"Right bud, while he's ahead let's get up in the clouds!"_ And with that, they both began to rise silently. Hiccup watched as Toothless glanced at the Night Fury flying on their right, silently asking her to keep silent, which she complied with a curious, anticipant grin, and whilst no longer travelling ahead as quickly due to fighting against the wind and gravity a little, both Toothless and Hiccup were now reaching cloud level above, with their opposition down below, visibly looking for where they had gone.

"Alright, I think that's enough time now, let's go show him who's the real winner of this race!" Hiccup flipped the fin to angle them down as Toothless bent into a dive.

It was then that the iconic screeching of a Night Fury close to breaking the sound barrier echoed through the air.

Mistwing simply smiled as she realised what they were doing, and she had to admit that Hiccup really did seem smart for having thought this through. She knew it was him when she saw him lean down and grin by Artenyx's ear, whispering something mischievously.

Shadow's breath caught in silence, as he realised what that sound meant.

Suddenly, Hiccup and Toothless _shot_ past him with the speed of the wind itself, creating such a heavy turmoil behind them that both Shadow and Mistwing had to correct their careening path due to the sudden turbulence. They both glanced forward, only to see the duo still shooting ahead, further and further, until decidedly claiming their victory and slowing down to a stop. They allowed the others to catch up, and the pair could never feel prouder after watching the face of their competition fall into breathless despair and amazement, wide eyes unblinking and jaw unclosing.

 _:: HA-ha-ha! We thrashed you! Come on, admit it, you thought you had it there because of our extra weight and shape. You totally thought you were gonna breeze it! ::_ Toothless held back tears at the sight of his older brother contemplating life after losing so badly.

 _:: I... I can't believe... I never thought of that... ::_ he muttered.

_:: Neither did I really, it's all Hiccup's idea! A few weeks ago, he pointed out how I flew fastest when diving and screeching. I don't know how I never pieced those two things together, but all it took was for him to mention it for me to realise! That screeching sound is when our wings form a streamlined shape that manages to break what he called the 'sound barrier'. I think it basically means we Night Furies travel as fast as sound itself when diving! ::_

_:: I... How has literally no NíoDýr in existence ever mentioned or realised this before?! I feel so dumb right now... Since we only ever dive when attacking from air to land, I assumed it was just the wind in our throats feeding our flames... Not the speed we were going at... ::_

Mistwing finally spoke up. _:: No wonder now, but even I'm amazed that a two-legs figured out such a simple correlation that generations of us_ _haven't. ::_

_:: Exactly! I told you, Hiccup is really smart! As much as it begrudges me to admit, he probably beats every dragon I know when it comes to lateral thinking, including Night Furies and myself. ::_

_:: Night Furies? You keep saying that. What are those? ::_

_:: Oh, sorry, Hiccup has used the term so much that I kinda began to call myself a Night Fury instead of NíoDýr. It's what his people refer to us as- well, that and 'the Offspring of Lightning and Death itself'. ::_ all three dragons refrained from snorting at that one.

 _:: Ahhhh. Well, at least the two-leg's name for our race is a proud title, unlike... ::_ Shadow prodded, causing Toothless to roll his eyes.

Surprising everyone, Hiccup finally spoke up after getting past his exhilaration. "So, bud, I know you can't tell me precisely, but how long until we get to where we're going? Nod if it's say… midnight?"

Toothless shook his head. "Earlier?" A nod made Hiccup smile. "Okay, that's good, I'm feeling a little tired still from everything so far, I don't think I could keep us airborne if it was much longer.

**~oOo~**

After two hours or so, the sky was completely black other than the glistening white reflecting on the sea below. They were finally approaching land if the black smudge in the distance was anything to go by, which excited Hiccup. "Wow, very hidden. Not that I'm surprised since you _are_ the elusive Night Furies, but I mean, it'd take weeks to sail this far!" Toothless merely smiled at his rider's enthusiasm.

 _:: He's adorably energetic, isn't he? ::_ Mistwing pondered also with a smile that caught the boy's innocent attention, earning an earnest one in return.

 _:: You mean irritating. I haven't known anyone who talks to themself as much as he does! ::_ Shadow grumbled, but it was only playful.

 _:: Mmm, but I find it_ _endearing. He acts like you're his best friend, yet he totally is more like your hatchling in some ways. ::_ Mistwing stated, causing Shadow to laugh in agreement and Toothless to look away in agitated embarrassment.

 _:: First of all, whilst yes he often talks to himself, that time he was talking to me and you two, admiring our island in general. He knows dragons are far more than just 'mindless beasts' as they are usually accused, and so he actually talks to me all the time. You'll get used to it after the first dozen rants. ::_ the others chuckled. _::_ _Also, I see him more as an adopted little brother than anything else if I'm honest, however how he sees me does not matter so long as it's positive. To be fair, I find myself acting a lot more freely since I met him. He has a childish, carefree nature about him that really spreads in the nicest of ways. When I met him, the first nickname I gave him was 'squish'. That then turned into 'little flame' whenever I don't use his actual name. Hiccup's special to me. ::_

 _:: Awwwwwe, Arty, you have such a soft spot for him to admit that! ::_ Mist crooned. 

He groaned at the serious talk being ruined by lighthearted jokes but didn't hold a grudge. _:: Oh hush, Misty. This is the island, right? ::_

_:: Yes, we decided to migrate further north in the last decade due to all the competition for food. ::_

Toothless nodded, before nudging Hiccup with the back of his neck.

"Hm? Does that mean we're setting down?" he received a nod. "Alright, just tell me when."

Reaching the edge of the island, Hiccup realised it was much larger than he had first imagined. It was probably five times larger than all of Berk, adorning several mountains, thick forests and rolling hills. In the distance, Hiccup could swear he was able to see several silhouettes gliding around, and a couple of them were approaching their position.

This time, Hiccup made sure to hug Toothless' back for protection, and all three Night Furies surrounded the boy and explained immediately that he was not to be harmed.

Luckily, the guards that had approached were less hostile towards him than most would be, settling for confused glances between themselves before accepting the orders of their superiors.

 _:: Your highnesses, who is this that you bring? I do not recognise him, or his... two-legs. ::_ The guard said cautiously, as despite his instincts telling him to kill intruders and trespassers, going against direct orders from royals was bound to be regrettable.

_:: This is Prince Artenyx. Our brother has returned, and with him comes his companion, Hiccup. May we please see our father? ::_

_:: Uhm, I truly apologise if I am speaking out of place, however I do not think I can grant access to the Two-legs without losing my position as guard- ::_ the dragon muttered meekly.

_:: That is not going to be a problem. You will not lose anything, we promise. We simply need to talk to our father about Artenyx's return, however he will not stay if the boy cannot. ::_

The dragon seemed to recoil at this. _The pure-blooded prince and heir, refusing to stay with his people without this low-life? :: Uhh, well, I suppose I can lead you to him then. Follow me, if you would. It is a pleasure to see you again, my prince. ::_ he bowed respectfully, before turning away.

Toothless grumbled under his breath, only for his siblings to hear. _:: Now I remember why I hated living here with a passion. ::_ and without allowing the others to speak, he followed the waiting guard.

Both siblings, however, turned to glance at each other, knowing exactly what he meant by that.


	3. Family Reunion...?

_:: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! ::_ The explosive, fiery roar cracked the walls like an earthquake. Toothless cowered slightly at the sight of his father, alpha of the pack, king of the Night Furies, screaming at him for something that he could not help.

 _:: I have been North, and I was unable to return until now. Please just calm down and let me explain,_ _fath- ::_

_:: Explain?! EXPLAIN?! Yes, I think you better get to it seeing as you've been assumed possibly dead for the past two decades! Why did you not return? ::_

_:: I... I fell under the hypnosis of a tyrannical Beta Queen up North when going on a flight. She held my mind prisoner for about twenty-four winters, forcing hundreds including I to hunt for her like slaves. I was only saved from it by Hiccup here- ::_

_:: Oh yes, why did I hear of reports of this low-life riding you like a **horse**? What did this Two-legs hang over you? Lifelong servitude by enslavement? Or do you owe him your life by some pledge of honour or something ridiculous? :: _the older Night Fury glared hatred so strong that it radiated off of his being in visible waves.

Hiccup had no idea what was going on, other than Toothless and the leader of the clan of Night Furies were having a _very heated debate_ over what seemed to either be the reasons as for Toothless having not returned sooner, or _him_. Presumably both. He glanced around the enormous underground cavern, but all his eyes met were the offended, violent glares of one hundred-or-so dragons. Every one of them -discluding the two he and Toothless had flown with earlier- clearly wanted to do some very painful things to him.

Just the thought of it made him sweat and gulp, and now shiver under the blood-freezing eyes of the king.

Toothless wrapped a wing around Hiccup, pulling him against his body protectively and calming him. The dragon could clearly see he was... _nervous_ , which helped.

_:: Father, will you please stop and listen! How can you expect me to resolve all these assuming_ _questions without the space to_ breathe _let alone speak! ::_

_:: ASSUMING?! Is it really wrong of me to assume when it could not appear more clear?! Why, what other explanation is th- ::_

_:: **Daganyr, enough!** :: _the entire room fell silent as a commanding voice cut through from further behind the ledge the king was standing on. Within several seconds, another figure appeared beside the alpha, causing all to bow. She was limping heavily, and her voice was coarse, however Toothless had no mistaking that voice.

His mother, the Beta, the Queen of the Night Furies had pulled herself from her resting bed, with the clear reason being the gravity of the situation at hand.

She glanced down from the ledge, her eyes meeting her son softened, and a motherly smile like none other graced her lips briefly, however she forced it away to uphold seriousness.

_:: Mother, I- I'm sorry- ::_

_:: I know you are, Artenyx. And it clearly wasn't your fault if what you said was true. ::_ She turned from her son to her mate, a scowl forming.

_:: Muninn, my dear- ::_

_:: Oh put a sock in it, Daganyr,_ please _. Our son has returned alive, as I said he would mind you, and all you have done is verbally berate him without hearing a single word he has to say. No happiness expressed, nor celebration for his return. Must you act so embarrassingly in front of the entire pack? ::_ She ignored the weak protests he returned, pushing past to look at her son again. Without a single word, she descended several platforms, dragons shifting out of her way respectfully, until she reached the bottom. Walking forward as well as she could, her neck leant round to Toothless' shoulder, and she whispered in his ear. _:: I knew you would return. Call it a motherly instinct, but not once did I feel the pain of permanent loss while you were gone. ::_

 _:: I am sorry I could not return sooner, I have missed you also, mother. ::_ he returned the gesture, closing his eyes. _:: You won't believe how many stories I have to tell you. ::_

 _:: Oh, I'm sure. But first, I must agree on a more_ diplomatic _level with you father, in asking what happened. If you can summarise it for now in front of the den, that'd be fine and we can talk more in depth over some food. You must be starving. ::_ She backed away, returning to the royal plateau after a few steady bounds. Many offered their assistance, however she refused politely -likely to retain dignity and respect, however more likely so as not to burden others. His mother had always been different to standard Night Fury behaviour like that.

_:: Begin when you are ready, then. Start from the beginning up until now. ::_

Toothless sighed under his breath, remembering how his younger sister had told him he'd exhaust himself telling of his travels twice in one day.

Perhaps he should have listened, but then neither Shadow nor Mistwing would feel positively swayed towards Hiccup, so it was worth it.

_:: Well, as I said, it all started when I went off for a flight to clear my mind. It was after our... talk, father. ::_ He looked down after that, remembering the day that had gone so poorly. _:: I flew too far without realising, and got ensnared by the call of a dragon. At first it was weak, having no control over me, only ushering me closer, however once I was close enough, then it took hold. A trap of kind, enticing words turned to cold and calculated commands, and slowly over time, I began to forget many memories. I… I feel shameful admitting that at one point, I forgot the names and number of siblings I had. Luckily I remember this all again, now, as those memories have returned with a little… instigation. ::_ he consciously bowed his head away from Shadow and Mistwing in shame at admitting that.

Toothless continued to talk for what felt like eons but was rather only a few hours. He could feel Hiccup beginning to droop from having been awake for over a day, so half way through he encouraged the boy to fall asleep against his side under his wing. This warranted a few confused looks, however the den remained silent throughout, elders only interrupting occasionally to prod for a little more detail as he continued.

 _:: -and that is how Hiccup and I became friends. Until returning now, we were all we had left for_ _each other. ::_

Abruptly, a familiar face for bad reasons entered the fray after silently observing. He wore a twisted grin, and hungry eyes. _:: Isn't it strange that this..._ Two-Legs _rides you like a steed, even though you speak of strong, bonded friendship? It looks to me more like he's got you wrapped around his claw like a loyal pet. Isn't it shameful to even consider protecting such an inferior being? Why don't you just unburden yourself of him- **it**. I tell you what, you bring him to me right now and I'll even take care of **it** myself for you! ::_

Toothless growled with nigh-unchallengeable anger. He never liked Scorch, but now he was testing his nerves more than ever before. He knew it was because the dragon believed his son, Draco would be a better heir, and it annoyed him to think there was someone so desperate and hungry for power within the respected elders.

 _:: Pass. I'm not the kind of being that would give up their friend's life for supposed 'self-benefit'. ::_ he gave an accusing glare, to which Scorch scoffed in mock-offence. _:: You do not understand as you are not looking at it the same way I do. The reason I see Hiccup as important, is because I do not look at what he does not have, I look at what he does. He may not have claws, or fire, or scaled hide, but he has got the most compassionate heart I have ever seen, rivalling only my own mother. He is smart, and funny, always looking for the positivity in any situation. He never gives up, always finding a solution, and his intelligence outcompetes every dragon I know. The most admirable trait, is that he will always sacrifice himself for others. Furthermore, it is because of him that I can fly still- ::_

_:: And it was because of him that you couldn't in the first place. You said he shot you down, but now he has all control over whether you can fly or not. He has you by the claw, I'm telling you! Can you not see how he has manipulated our own prince into a farce of loyalty and companionship, only to have a personal guard and ride? ::_

_:: Are you insinuating he uses me for flight alone? Because I think I can find many things that disprove that offensive accusation. ::_

_:: Ah, but again, that's all you have been doing so far! Deflecting anything said against him with the same excuse of 'he's not like that'. That isn't evidence that the Two-legs is good! Its best defence is coming from the slave of the useless creature itse- :: **BOOM**_

Hiccup yelped in surprise, having jolted from the explosion, and the entire court exploded in riot from the purple blast fired directly above the elder dragon's head. _ **:: SHUT YOUR JAW RIGHT NOW, BEFORE I MAKE YOU**_ **REGRET** _ **WAKING UP THIS DAWN. ::**_ The roar that released from Toothless' throat instilled unnatural fear within all the dragons that were causing an uproar. _:: Hiccup has saved my life countless times! Shown trust and emotion that no other Two-Legs has ever demonstrated. If fact, I'd say he has a better personality that most of the_ _NíoDýrs here! He's been endlessly shunned by his own entire village for being different! For NOT Being a cold-hearted, merciless killer like all of his people wanted him to be! HE IS NOTHING LIKE THEM, AND THAT IS WHY I WILL NOT STAND LISTENING TO WORTHLESS, GREEDY DRAGONS LIKE YOU ENFORCING SUCH A DISGUSTING SHOW OF SPECIAL (species) SUPERIORITY! ::_

The entire cave echoed in shocked silence. _:: I can't believe I forgot just how shamefully arrogant my own species can be! What makes this worse is that I THOUGHT OF HICCUP THE SAME AS ALL OF YOU IN THE BEGINNING! At first, I_ was _suspicious that he WAS just using me! That he was going to betray me, or kill me when I was sleeping! That he'd poison my only food, or leave me to die without second thought if he got bored of seeing me! But you want to know when that outlook_ changed _?! ::_

The entire cave silently anticipates his answer in baited, breathless silence.

 _  
:: IT WAS WHEN HE CAME TO **ME** , CRYING, BEATEN UP AND BLOODIED FROM HIS OWN TRIBE. **HIS OWN PEOPLE.** Alone, broken and scared, and clutching to **ME** as though his life depended on it! :: _Both Mistwing and Shadow gasped from behind Toothless, as they had not been expecting to hear this, and all other dragons were left somehow even more speechless than before.

 _:: The moment I stopped looking at_ ** _Hiccup_** _as a_ threat _, was the moment I realised that not once did he EVER look at_ me _like **I**_ _was a monster. His village, as well as all the human tribes around have suffered nothing but constant siege from bloodthirsty, enslaved dragons for several centuries! His people have_ every right _to look at us as heartless monsters for stealing their food, killing their kin and destroying their homes! But the one thing I noticed beyond all else?_

 _Hiccup_ **forgave me** _for_ everything I had ever done _the moment he realised that this entire war was a misunderstanding! That there_ could _be peace between both dragons and humans. He was the first human to ever try_ not _attacking first,_ _something his people would literally NEVER_ _humour as an idea, and I just so happened to be the first dragon to not take advantage of that! And now, we spend every second we can with each other because of it!  
_

_So don't you DARE accuse either of us as using the other! Hiccup is as important to me as I am to him, and that is the reason he chose ME over his village! He chose to leave his village with me, instead of risk losing me! He chose to betray his own culture's customs, all to protect me and stay with ME. To **SAVE MY LIFE.** So until YOU all stop looking at only yourselves and not others, I don't believe I_ _EVER want to rule this Celestial damn pack!_

_I'd even go so far as to say I wish I were a human just to be closer to him and talk to him face-to-face, which is impossible for our dragon tongue! Because frankly, I have never found better companionship or company than with Hiccup, the Viking who refused his own customs!_ _::_

_:: I am leaving. ::_

Promptly, Toothless nudged his best friend onto his back, who willingly complied out of sheer confusion, intimidation and trust. Immediately, he turned, preparing to dash out of the winding tunnels and far, far away from this blasted island, however he found himself blocked by his brother and sister.

_:: Artenyx, I will not allow you to leave again! Don't force me against you, please, but if I must, then I will stop you for both the pack, and your own good. ::_

Toothless growled, lowering his head, pupils tightening. _::_ _ **Move.**_ _::_

 _:: Arty- Toothless... ::_ he glanced over at Mistwing, glare less ferocious, but still defensive nonetheless.

 _:: If Hiccup cannot stay here unthreatened, unchallenged and not ostracised- just as he was within his OWN PACK, then I blatantly refuse to, and if you try to stop me,_ I will not hold back. _I wish not to hurt you, however I will to protect him if I must._ _::_ he stated with unwavering resolve. He was not about to stay here, with his 'kin' that would not look beyond their own superiority complexes. No matter how much he hated leaving his mother, sister, brother and to an acutely smaller degree, father, he realised a long time ago that he was all Hiccup had...

And Hiccup was all he truly needed.

"Toothless... What's going on?" He found himself brought further from his mind-encompassing rage as the most important voice to him held him rooted to the ground. Without it, he felt like he would have lost his control and already attacked Shadow.

Hiccup was keeping him from becoming feral as a cornered dragon, and everyone in the den, including Toothless himself to a small degree, realised this.

_:: Hiccup, we're leaving. ::_ He pointed his head towards the exit with a pointed croon.

"But... they don't look like they want _you_ to leave..." Hiccup spoke solemnly as he looked around, coming to a conclusion in his mind. "They don't want me here, do they?"

The dragon dropped his head woefully with regret.. _:: No... ::_

Suddenly, he felt a shift on his back, and turning around to look, he saw Hiccup standing beside him.

"Do you think there's any real chance of the ol' _hand-to-nose-without-looking_ trust trick working?" he joked, but it was wry, and below his smile was an expression of sadness.

Toothless shook his head, still not understanding what his rider was getting to, but he had a bad feeling that he wasn't going to like it one bit.

Suddenly, Hiccup balled his fists tight, steeling his nerves, before doing something nobody could have expected. He turned around to face the mother and father directly. Ignoring the pointed gazes of most of the pack, his eyes settled on the semi-dilated orbs of the Queen, and the pin-pricked, cautious eyes of the King.

"I'm assuming you must be the leaders of the Night Furies?" It was a rhetorical question, so he continued, "I understand why you do not want me in your home. I am sorry for the intrusion, however I only hope that you do not banish Toothless for associating with me. It must be against your dragon customs, much like it was against mine, however please don't punish him for it."

 _:: Hiccup, what are you doing?! ::_ Toothless whispered harshly, but was ignored.

"If... If I leave... a-and never return, would you allow Toothless to stay without punishment?" he looked at the king for this, since he knew that he was the one that held the final decision.

He received a slow nod.

_:: Wh-what? No! NONONO! Hiccup what are you saying! I'm not leaving you, and you are NOT leaving here without me! ::_

Toothless was cut off from his roars, growls and trills when the boy leant forward and pulled tightly at his thick neck, hugging him deeper than ever before and whispering in his ear. "I know you want to stay with me, bud. I can see it in your face, but... But knowing that I had taken your only opportunity to be back with your own. To find yourself a _family_... Tooth, I can't keep you away from your people, and I suppose... I suppose this just means that I have to go back to mine... Hopefully they didn't believe Astrid, and I can return and just… accept the life I was living before. Perhaps even convince my dad to just let me remain a blacksmith in the forge for the rest of my life if I'm lucky?"

...

"I'll miss you more than anything, bud, I need you to know that. I'm not doing this because I don't want to stay with you, I'm doing this because I _care about you_. Me staying here would be just as bad as you staying with _my_ people. We can't have both, but I don't think I could live knowing what you'd sacrificed all just for _me_... As much as I wish I could just... be a dragon just to stay with you, or- or just not have to _deal_ with all these problems, that's sadly not what I was destined to be. That's just… just an ugly truth that nobody could hide from, so the only option is for us to… t-to... walk our separate roads as destiny dictates." Hiccup hardly managed to finish without resorting to sobs.

Toothless couldn't believe what he was hearing. Rooted to the spot in pain, as though his whole being had been wrapped up in that same bola from the day they met.

Painfully, Hiccup tore himself from the dragon, tears spilling from his eyes, but a shaky smile on his face. Walking around, he promptly tore the saddle off of the stiff dragon's back, before fixing the rope controlling the fin around his ankle. He wasn't sure how long it'd last, nor how it'd work, but for now, it seemed that that was all he could do.

Finishing up, he began to walk away, between both Mistwing and Shadow, who watched the exchange with downcast expressions, realising the pain they were all causing the pair.

Turning around one last time, Hiccup smiled painfully, wiping his eyes. _"Live a happy life, Toothless."_ and then he was gone.

And Toothless did nothing but collapse and stare at the dark tunnel that had swallowed his world whole. His everything.

If dragons could cry, he'd be unironically drowning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this really the end for both Toothless and Hiccup's unbreakable bond...?
> 
> Dun  
> Dun  
> DUUUUN
> 
> (A/N: Keep reading if you think it's over, because you'll be pleasantly surprised. Sorry for the heart-wrenching moment though! ;3)


	4. Loss of a Half

He wasn't sure how he was going to get back to Berk. It was surely a two week trip minimum (with a strong, helpful wind direction and calm sea) after coming here on dragon back -Night Fury, no less- took so long. He'd have to build a raft that wouldn't capsize easily, as well as stock up on as many fruits and foods as he could before the trek.

Pulling out his emergency boot-knife, he began sawing at the thin trees that were nearest to the shore. He'd have to find some twine and a sharp rock to create a makeshift axe for more efficiency, but that shouldn't be the hardest endeavour when surrounded by the plentiful resources of such an untouched island.

He was half way through collecting some food to feed his starving stomach (since he hadn't eaten in two days), however his spine tingled with a chill. A telltale sign he had had since he as born. A minor sixth sense, as you will.

He was being stalked.

Pretending not to notice, he got back to doing what he was doing earlier. It was most likely Toothless, crouching low in the shrubbery, unsure of whether he should come out and try to change Hiccup's mind or just accept the harsh situation. Otherwise it was just another Night Fury. Hopefully, so long as he did nothing threatening and remained out of their way, the Night Furies would leave him alone for at least long enough for him to leave.

Apparently, keeping his head down and gaze low was not enough to satisfy the stalking predator, since the bushes rustled, and out crept one of the dragons. It appeared to be female, much like the one that stood at the top of the hierarchy, however he highly doubted that she'd be down here. Differentiating so many that all looked so similar was difficult enough, what with unchangingly black scales. The only features that changed visibly between them were the colour of their crystal-like eyes.

Nervously, he lifted his head, but not his gaze when the the dragon approached and ceased in front of him.

"I'm sorry if I'm in your way, I'm just trying to make a boat and collect enough food to leave. I won't bother you again." He said, head still low and slowly shifting backwards submissively. He was simply planning to go scavenging at another area, however the Night Fury wouldn't leave him. No matter where he went, he could feel the gaze of two eyes, settled upon his spine.

After about an hour or so, he had finally had enough of holding his head down. His neck was starting to hurt, and all these slow, cautious movements were really setting him back in efficiency for the little time he had.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head but didn't turn around. "I-I know you're there, you know? I know you've been watching me for the past hour, and it's kinda freaking me out. I already promised I would leave you alone, but that's kind of hard to do when you follow me."

Still, those eyes would not leave him.

He turned around, in the middle of sighing in exasperation and asking what it wanted (guessing it wanted the food he had gathered), however he practically flipped over his feet in a jolt when he realised that the eyes that had been watching him were only a single foot away.

"GAH! Wh-what the hell?! When did you get so close?" He asked himself, before shaking his head and taking a step back. "L-look, if you want the food, you can have it, alright? I'll find some more somewhere else then. Or starve. You know, depending on how much longer I can stand with an empty stomach." he stated dryly, holding the food out towards the dragon.

It sniffed curiously, before piercing one of the purple fruits with a claw and flicking it away and into a bush. They then pushed the rest back towards him. "Oh, so you're either a picky eater, or you don't want the food. Neither of those things are good in my situation, but I really hope you don't like the taste of human. I'm probably very salty, a little chewy and not very filling, so I doubt I'd make a gourmet meal if that's what you're considering. Look," he held up the skinny arm holding the fruit, pointing to it with his other. "See? All skin and bone here."

He was about to backpedal further, until a voice burned through his head like a wildfire, incinerating his head excruciatingly.

_:: You hide your pain very well, but it will clearly not leave you. ::_

Hiccup paused for a brief moment, the first sarcastic comment he could think of emitting from his mouth almost like a reflex to overbearing situations. "Oh, great. And just when I thought I was hiding my pain so well, a talking dragon decides to council me." he almost forgot who he was talking to in the first place in favour of trying to forget Toothless -which wasn't working in the slightest.

 _:: You're very bold for a Two-legs deserted on an island full of NíoDýrs. Also, don't eat those purple fruits, they are poisonous._ _::_ The voice was somewhat old and female, with a sharp and commanding, yet soft and gentle tone.

This time, however, Hiccup could only stare as his entire reality fell apart.

 _:: Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out_ this _much. I realised you must not be used to any voices in your head, but I didn't expect you to react this_ _extremely_ _to it. ::_

_Huh. Night Furies can talk in my head._

He blinked.

**_Oh dear Odin Night Furies can talk in m_ _y_ _head._ **

Staring at the dragon for the longest of times, he simply opted to sit down shakily and force himself to breath, lest he fall unconscious in the middle of a forest, _without Toothless._

_:: Are you feeling better now? ::_

"Oh yes. Plenty. It only took me a few moments to get over the panic I felt of _hearing a dragon talking inside my mind._ But please, tell me _how and why_ exactly I am _hearing a dragon talking inside my mind."_

_:: Wow, are you always so blunt with your sarcasm, child? ::_

"Only when I'm close to passing out or feeling incredibly stressed and emotional. And this is on a _good_ day, not including the fact that I just lost the most important being in my life that makes me feel complete. So yeah, I'm just gonna apologise right now for anything I do or say sarcastically in the next few minutes that could seem offensive in any broad sense, it's usually not my intention."

This incited a snort from the dragon, which only caused him to think harder about how this was happening, until her voice sounded again.

 _:: Well,_ Toothless, _as you call my son, is unable to do this with you for the sole reason of not being Alpha yet. Only the Alpha and Beta of any pack of dragons can communicate telepathically with their subjects, and depending on the strength of their magic, some can even affect the decisions of lower dragons, sometimes to the point of mind-control. Such is as you've seen with the Beta Queen of the nest that you both visited a few days ago. ::_

"Wait, how do you know about that? Can you read my mind too or did Toothless tell you about everything we've done together?"

_:: Relax, my child. I cannot control your mind in slightest, due to you not being a Night Fury. It's even harder to control other species of dragon, but impossible to affect another creature entirely. Luckily for everyone, there is no such thing as reading one's mind. I fear that would cause many unnecessary problems if it were possible. ::_

"So Toothless told you?"

_:: Yes. You know he cares very deeply for you? It couldn't be more obvious that he loves you with all of his heart. ::_

"Of course I know that. I care just as deeply about him. He was all I had, as well as all I needed to be truly happy... but... I couldn't live with myself knowing I was the one that had taken him away from his friends and both past and possible future family."

 _:: So you're leaving for him, pushing past your own desires because you think it would be better for_ him _if he stayed? ::_

Hiccup took a deep breath but did not hesitate. "Yes."

_:: Hm. How intriguing. You're very strange, you know? ::_

"Yeah, well, I was never accepted by my village for being so different. I know I'm not strong like they all are, and I don't act nor think like a Viking 'should'… I've always had to rely on my own wit and intelligence to get by. I'd probably be dead by now if I didn't have that either."

 _:: That's... horrible to hear. I'm sorry to know you have such a hard time with your kind. ::_ the dragon sounded heartfelt and regretful, which made Hiccup feel a little better.

"It's not your fault. I was born the only heir to the best chief- uhhh.... _alpha_ , that my village has ever known, so of course it's no wonder why they practically ignore my existence." Hiccup exhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "But I've come to accept it. It's never going to change, and trying to fight it is like trying to swim upstream- or fly against heavy wind, in your cases. It's just better if I fly with the wind and get lost, than to fight it and get hurt."

 _:: But then I ask at that point, why are you still flying? ::_ this caused Hiccup to pause, before chuckling.

"I... guess you have a point there. But then I don't know what doing that would be. It's hard to find middle ground between being ostracised, hated and ignored, and supposedly 'betraying' my people for trying to change things for the better."

_:: How so? What do you mean by that? ::_

"Hm? Oh, you mean changing for the better?" he received a nod. "Well, after meeting Toothless, we let each other live, and it was at that moment that I realised that maybe dragons are just misunderstood, and we hadn't taken the time to try and find another solution other than 'poke it with something sharp'. I know that if both sides would just... stop. Stop simultaneously, and look from each other's perspective, then this entire war would end. It's just disappointing to realise that that occurring is like asking for the sky to rain upwards. It just isn't gonna happen."

After a brief lapse of silence, Hiccup spoke up again. "Is there anything else you want to talk about? Otherwise I'll just leave you be and get back to it." he looked around, indicating his intents of more foraging.

 _:: If you wouldn't mind, just wait here one moment. ::_ the dragon sat down gently, leaning on one side to avoid a discoloured wound on her side. She was sideways to Hiccup, so he could see it clearly from here, even with her semi-guarded posture.

"What... happened?" he asked. She looked at him in confusion, catching his gaze.

_:: Ah. This. We were attacked by another Fury pack far east of here. I was wounded and now infected. I haven't much longer to live, however do not fret. I've seen my son once again before death and can pass satisfied now. ::_

"Oh... Is there really no cure or anything to stop it?"

_:: Not if you don't know a cure to a purple flower with five petals. ::_

Hiccup took his time to think the description through. It was very broad, leaving many possibilities, however the first one to come to mind were the many Blue Oleanders he had seen growing around both Berk and here. "You said they were purple, five petals... are they small and grow in large clusters?"

 _:: Indeed. With dark_ _centres. They're very toxic to most dragons, but only a large amount can be lethal. Why, do you know of anything? ::_

He had to refrain from sweating, as he wasn't entirely certain. "Well... I do know of some cures to _humans_ eating it...? However, I'm not sure if they'd work on a dragon. It's never been tested to my knowledge."

_:: Well, what is this cure? ::_

"Uhh... I think it was... dill, juniper fern and garlic. I may have seen the first two growing around here, actually, but I have no idea where you'd find garlic. I've never seen it grow, only traded for overseas."

_:: Is this... garlic necessary? ::_

"Honestly? I really don't know. I really don't want to make you any sicker, but if you'd like, I can try making you the cure without...?"

_:: But why would you do that for a dragon, much less one that you hardly know? ::_

"I already told you, I'm not like most others. Besides, you don't seem that bad to me. The fact that you haven't attacked me in any way, and have held a civil discussion with me -as confusing as that still is-, is plenty reason enough to help you if I can. Plus, you said you were Toothless' mother, right? Well, I know he'd be very upset if he lost his mother like I have, so if I can stop that from happening, of course I will." he answered truthfully.

The older dragon tilted her head, looking curiously at the boy. _:: Very strange indeed. But you seem very different from any other I've met, in a very… humbling way. I see perfectly why Artenyx wants to stay with you. ::_ she stood up, glancing into the distance. _:: If you think it might possibly heal me, then I'll give it a chance, however first let me call my family. Just in case things go south, I'd like to tell them what is happening. ::_

"Of course." Hiccup smiled, but after a second, his mind jumped inside his head. "Wait a minute… Wait, y-y-you're the Queen, aren't you? Oh Odin, that fits in with what you said about this mind-speech, as well as you looking exactly like the Night Fury from before! Wait… Oh dear gods, you're Toothless' mo- TOOTHLESS IS A PRINCE?!" and suddenly, everything fell topsy-turvy on the Viking teen, just as the bushes rustled loudly ahead of them.


	5. Trust

The moment he had heard his mother's voice, he ran towards it. He didn't want to, no. He simply wanted to lay there and pity himself for losing the most important being in his life so suddenly, however he found himself without a choice as his own limbs betrayed him. After a while, he was given back control, but he knew better than to not carry on forward lest he lose his own control again.

Making his way through the forest, he mulled over his own thoughts. Toothless wasn't sure what to think if he was honest. He felt heartbroken, regretful, despondent and now… _alone again_. Even being back with his family and pack, he couldn't shake the feeling of near- _complete_ loss.

Maybe he could still find Hiccup and sort this whole ordeal out?

No… Hiccup made it perfectly clear that he 'couldn't live with himself' if Toothless left with him, but now Toothless wasn't allowed to leave both from his parents and now from Hiccup himself telling him. But Hiccup couldn't stay, either, and that was where the real rub came from.

No matter where he is, the boy can't seem to catch a break. Ostracised by his own people, but then rubbing salt in his wound, he is told no other community will take him in either?

Eventually, Toothless found himself joined by his siblings, who were also rushing towards their mother. They were flying overhead, however spotted him and landed to stick with him.

 _:: She called you too? ::_ Shadow asked, looking at him.

 _:: Do you have any idea on why she called us all only saying 'Come.' ? ::_ Toothless would admit he was quite worried if it wasn't only him being called there.

 _:: No! Do you think she got hurt or something? O-or is her infection starting to kick in worse…? ::_ Mistwing shuddered.

Out of nowhere, the trio found themselves joined by their father, who was just catching up by flight, still strong in his old age.

_:: Father, why were we all called? ::_

_:: I have no idea, however it must be urgent for all of us to be present… ::_

They all continued running for a few more minutes, until finally they reached the location of the signal.

_:: Mother? ::_

A quiet trill came from just a little further ahead but inside their own minds through telepathy. _:: Over here. ::_

They all stopped abruptly however, when a familiar voice rang out, "TOOTHLESS IS A _PRINCE?!"_

Artenyx felt like cowering in a hole and never leaving.

Feeling himself nudged forward without a choice, all four of them took several steps through some thick bushes, before being met by a curt greeting from Muninn. She was standing next to Hiccup, who was staring at them in trepidation, almost cowering at the sight of all four of us, and the moment our eyes met, he looked at his feet, downcast.

_Clearly, he was as upset about everything as I was, so why was he so adamant on leaving without me?_

_:: Mother, why are we, you and he here? ::_ he asked gently, eyes also travelling towards the ground. His voice held no emotion, only empty accepting confusion as he really didn't care anymore.

All four of the other Night Furies present noticed entirely just how upset both the dragon and the boy were. A rift had formed between the pair, and they all couldn't help but feel guilty about it.

_:: Hiccup tells of a possible cure for the infection. ::_ immediately, the other three gasped, as Toothless glanced up again, a shadow of relief gracing ghostly lips, before he frowned slightly at the implications.

_Damn Hiccup and his caring nature. He was still finding ways to help me without even aiming to._

_:: Preposterous! Why would you even listen to that Two-legs in the first_ _place? Let alone place your trust in him? Dearest, what if he poisons you? Or_ worse _? ::_

Toothless growled, but was interrupted by his mother. _:: The chances of that happening are incredibly slim, dear. Let's be honest, he has no way to escape this island without making one of those viking boats, which takes time. Considering there's an entire island of dragons that know the place like the back of their paw, I'm sure he knows that killing their Queen wouldn't be very smart. ::_

 _:: But mother, he wouldn't do that anyway! ::_ Toothless was beginning to get fed up with this. _Why couldn't they just accept Hiccup?_

 _:: Exactly. I don't think he would either. We've been having a very nice chat for a little while now, and I've found it refreshing to get to know such a nice personality. He seems like a surprisingly wonderful young boy if I do say so myself. ::_ she smiled, before turning towards her mate. _:: Now, I do not have very long to live anyway. I've far surpassed all the healers'_ _presumption dates, and I have very little to lose at this point. Would you really say that not taking this opportunity is smarter? What if it_ does _nurse me back to health? ::_ she asked seriously towards her husband, who still held mild distrust.

Suddenly, Toothless was hit by an idea that would solve everything. _:: I'll take it first! ::_ he declared, earning several surprised looks. _:: Hiccup would **never** even **consider** poisoning me. I have no doubt, and so if I take the cure first and I am fine, then mother will be too, and Hiccup will be proven __righteous in his intentions! ::_ he actually felt rather proud of himself for thinking of this.

His mother smiled. _:: That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll ask him now to make it, however I will not tell him you will take it also, therefor his intentions cannot change and we will see the truth no matter what, alright? ::_

_:: Yes, that is fine. I am not worried in the slightest, Hiccup is nothing if not caring, gentle and kind-hearted buried below his dry humour. ::_

Muninn turned towards Hiccup, who was simply sitting there having heard nothing but growls and grunts. He felt entirely discluded, as well as remorseful from seeing his _best bud_ so soon again after opening such a large canyon between them.

_:: Would you mind please making that cure for me, Hiccup? ::_

"Of course." he paused to think of where he had recently seen the ingredients, before backtracking his steps for half a mile. Eventually, he had gathered all except the garlic, and returned to the dragons who waited patiently.

"Right, I have the dill and juniper fern, and I'm _pretty_ sure that those two are the key factors to the cure. I think the garlic is more of a flavouring or something. Again, I will remind you that I am not _entirely_ sure this will cure you, alright? I mean, I really hope it does, since you seem nice and important, so it'd be bad for the Night Furies to lose you, but I can't guarantee success. Do you still want it?" he asked after crushing it into a paste using a makeshift mortar and pestle.

_:: Yes, I would, however Artenyx, or Toothless, has said that he will try it first to prove your good intentions to my mate. Is this alright for you? ::_

Hiccup blinked, before glancing down. "Well now I _really_ hope that garlic wasn't necessary, and that this doesn't leave any negative symptoms…" Slowly, he looked up at Toothless, before lifting up the mix for him to taste.

Taking a small lick, the dragon instantly snuffed in disgust at the taste, however swallowed without much complaint. They all waited for a long while to check for any bad reactions, but found none, which seriously pleased Hiccup.

"Oh thank goodness. Well, that narrows it down to either neutrally useless, or an effective cure." he offered some to the older female, who consumed the rest of the mix to make sure it was enough.

 _:: Hm. It tastes rather revolting if I am brutally honest, however it's edible to the_ _degree of keeping it down easily enough. Now I suppose we just need to wait to see if it has any effect. ::_ she stated, before standing up slowly and shaking her numb legs one-by-one.

 _:: Are we leaving back to the tunnels? ::_ Mistwing asked as she held a supportive wing for her limping mother.

_:: Yes, I need to lie down and rest after exerting myself so much today. Now come_ _along. :: she universally gestured that they were leaving, to which Hiccup sighed._

"Goodbye again, Toothless. I hope your mother heals well if she can."

The dragon paused, only to glance towards his mother. _:: Mother, can I please stay with him at least until he must leave the island…? ::_

The older dragon only seemed to smile as though expecting this. _:: I was wondering when you'd ask. Of course you can, Arty. ::_ she then looked back to Hiccup, before explaining what he had just asked of her to him.

Hiccup could only suppress tears of joy as he leapt in delight at the chance to spend at least a little while longer with each other.


	6. Why?

The night sky was beautiful as Hiccup lay against Toothless' side. Neither had said anything since the others had left, but it was a comfortable silence.

The comfortable silence was broken, however, when a soft sniffle broke the atmosphere.

Toothless crooned, possibly more gently that Hiccup had ever heard before, and immediately he found himself enveloped in two leathery wings like a cocoon or cradle, looking up at two very large, very emotion-filled eyes.

 _:: Why? ::_ was what they were asking. _:: Why would you choose this? ::_

"You know why, bud. I don't like it anymore than you do, but hopefully... h-hopefully one day you'll thank me and forgive me for doing this."

Toothless blanched at the 'thank' part. There was nothing to thank about. He was losing the most important part of himself, his other half. A little brother he never wanted to let go. It felt like his soul was being split in two.

"I know you don't want to let me go, buddy. I... I wish I didn't have to. I wish I could stay here, with you, but that's not gonna happen. It's just not possible. As I said before, me, a human, staying in a den full of Night Furies, is just as sensible as you staying back at the village."

 _:: You don't even call it 'your' village. Just_ village. _This decision is wrong, Hiccup. You don't belong there. I don't WANT you going back there, and I don't even want to stay here in the first place from the way my people are so set in being such arrogant, selfish elitists. We should just leave, us two. We belong by each other's side; you can't deny it. We could roam the world, explore and make new friends with others like_ us _-if there are any. Please. ::_

Hiccup knew what the dragon was rumbling about. He wanted them to just leave together, refusing to see any light in this situation like Hiccup forced himself to.

"I'm sorry, buddy. But... Maybe humans and dragons just aren't supposed to be united. I don't belong in the sky, and you don't deserve to be grounded, and no matter what we go through, I don't think I'll ever stop feeling guilty about what I did to you, intentional or not."

 _:: Please stop blaming yourself for this- ::_ the dragon nodded to his tail. _:: I forgave you the day I realised that you showed me I wasn't truly stuck as flightless 'till death. ::_

"... Look, Toothless... I don't know how many years it'll take for me to get over having you to help me get through my Gods-awful life. I don't even think I ever truly _will._ Everything you've done for me... It's changed my world. My reality. That's why I have to thank you for everything we've gone through together. Thank you for placing your trust in me... And no matter what, I promise, I will NEVER stop loving you, even through death. I'll miss you, as my best and only true friend, maybe even a brother."

"But my love isn't worth more than all of _theirs_." he gestured back roughly towards the nest. "Me leaving means you can be reunited with your family. As well as... start your _own_.

I can assure you, you aren't going to get that staying with _me!"_ he tried to joke weakly. "And anyway, the saddest truth that I've been trying to hide from all this time is that...

 _I- I'm going to be dead by the next half a century, old and withered,_ whilst you'll still be as fresh, young and lively as you started." That statement caught up with Hiccup as he faltered, eyes brimming and swelling from the fact he hated and feared more than anything else.

Toothless still had many centuries ahead of him. Hiccup... did not.

Apparently, this statement was a world-shattering revelation for the dragon, as his face twisted in horror, before denial at the thought of losing Hiccup so quickly. Of living so much longer _without_ him than with.

 _:: N-no... No. ::_ shivers tingled up his spine and wracked his frame as the dragon flinched at the looping, echoing thought now planted in his previously ignorant mind.

"I'm sorry, bud. H-humans... just aren't built to be as brilliantly robust as dragons. We get opposable thumbs... And you get vitality beyond belief. Thats='s just how nature works her trade." with that, Toothless felt the warm, calming pressure lift from his front, breaking through the barrier of his wings and standing beside his paralysed form.

A hand rested sullenly upon his snout, the message behind it clear as day.

**_Live a happy life, Toothless -and don't wait up for me._ **

And with that, Hiccup pulled himself away from his rooted dragon, taking every ounce of courage and strength; all of his bravery and all of his confidence to stop himself from looking back.

The touch of warm scales on his palm, of the begrudgingly affectionate slobber he'd be drenched in, of the feeling of comforting wings encompassing him, protecting him from the world...  
Would all be feelings he promised himself to never forget.


	7. Restless

Toothless didn't fall asleep that night. Or notice when the sun had risen, signifying the start to a new day.

He didn't even blink when a puff of warm, fishy air blew in his face.

His eyes were wet and red, rarely blinking, and his breath was still shallow from the pitiful roars and sobs he'd expressed throughout the night.

 _:: Oh, darling... ::_ his mother's voice crooned in worry and loving support. She had come to look for the duo this morning. _:: What happened? Where's Hiccup? ::_

All she received was a blank, empty stare that looked past her, even when she entered his vision.

_:: He's gonna die. He's gonna die, and I'm going to be about as far as one tenth further in my life span. ::_ his voice cracked mid-sentence, further displaying how broken he felt.

 _:: Oh, sweetie... ::_ Muninn now understood perfectly well what must have occurred last night, what had left Toothless in such a state of distress and dissociation.

 _:: He left. He just... told me to enjoy having my family back... E-enjoy starting a family of my own... Said he knew he couldn't provide that by himself. He said I was... I was better off without him, than without you._ _::_

_:: Honey- ::_

_:: **He said his love wasn't half as important as everyone**_ ** _else's! He says it like he's worth absolutely nothing! He acts like nothing he provides means ANYTHING, and still he's known nothing but suffering in lonely isolation for all his life!_** _::_ Tears began to form on the dragon's cheeks. It was only then that Toothless realised he'd never cried over anything else before. Not when he was enslaved from the Red Death. Not when he lost his flight. **_:: If it weren't for him, I'd be dead... yet still I fear losing him far more than death could ever frighten me... ::_**

Not even when he saw the faces of the family he had unwillingly forgotten about.

It was then, that the mother really knew. Really saw the truth behind it all. Saw just why her son was so vehemently against losing his human companion.

_He doesn't realise that he loves him._

A wing gently encompassed his shaking frame, reminding him that perhaps he wasn't as absolutely lonely as he made out to be. Eventually, his mother's voice spoke up, _:: Clearly, his love is more important and means more to you than any of ours does. ::_ What she then said next shocked him. _:: Go, son. Go and find him, and never leave his side. Promise yourself that no matter what he says or thinks is best for you, it is_ ** _your_** _decision to stay by him, and that is what you will do. ::_

_:: B-but mother- ::_

_:: I know you love me and our family; I love you more than the stars and the moon itself, Arty. But... true love for anyone is a fleeting concept, forgotten by most and veiled by lust and greed. I see the way you both protect and care for_ _each other, and whilst you may never continue our bloodline by being with him, I highly doubt you will ever be able to find anyone here -or anywhere else in the world, for that matter- that you would love and care for more. Platonic friendship or not. ::_

_:: B-but- ::_

_:: Be truthful with yourself, Arty. Would you be satisfied, knowing that you would never have the chance of having hatchlings, so long as you had Hiccup? Does his love and attention mean that much to you, or not? ::_

_:: … I- I- … It... does. ::_

_:: Then you can't stay. I won't let you myself. Just as Hiccup told me before, I unnderstand fully what he felt like now. We couldn't hold onto you, knowing what you're sacrificing for us. I couldn't bare to smile, knowing I tore away such an important part to my own son. ::_

_:: I just... I don't want to leave you, mother. I missed my siblings more than I ever knew until finding them again, and whilst father is a little... ::_

_:: …Shortcoming in his external affection, he does loves you very much. You must know that. ::_ they both chuckled lightheartedly at the gentle jest in her tone.

 _:: I do. But it is_ you _, that I missed the most. It was always you that I could never forget about, no matter how devoid times got. How blank and lost I felt. I can't- ::_

_:: Arty. You may not want to, but you_ have _to choose. Who do you need more in your life? Us... or him? It's that, or you find another way to get around this whole problem. I can't say I see how he can be made fully welcome and accepted here unconditionally among the others, whether we as leaders state his innocence or not. As it is, he's in danger, so if that can't be fixed, then there's no choice but for you both to go and enjoy your lives together somewhere else, together. ::_

_:: But what will father say about me... abandoning the throne? ::_

_:: Well... you know why your brother can't rightfully take it, it's not in his blood. It's sad, but just the way tradition is as he was adopted. Mistwing could take over, however that would inevitably mean the end of our family bloodline name after all these countless generations. It'd be the first time the royal blood has ever changed, but I suppose there is no other obvious option other than to adapt. But no mere name is more important than my son, that I am certain of. ::_

_:: I am sorry, mother. I am so sorry everything has come to this in the end, after finally seeing you again... ::_ he whispered gently, after a moment.

_:: So am I. So am I, my little flame. ::_

Toothless smiled a melancholic smile at hearing the nickname he loved more than any other for himself. His own mother using it was the reason he called Hiccup that sometimes in Dragonese. Hiccup may not ever know what Toothless says, but it would always feel natural and special to just… talk openly and treat Hiccup like he would any other dragon that he talked to.

She gently rubbed his head with her own, signifying a mother dragon's kiss, before walking away proudly, showing no weakness to him which only made him feel pride himself to have such a strong, caring mother. He was then left alone to watch her retreating form for what he assumed would be forever.

Until she paused.

And then she began turning back.

_:: Mother? ::_ he asked gently in confusion.

_:: Do you... think he knows any other healing techniques...? ::_

_:: Why do you ask? I mean, I believe he likely does, yes. He's the one that treated my wounds if and when I ever got any. As well as that one time I got ill from an odorous plant... ::_

_:: Well... I think there may just be a way for him to gain trust within the community..._

_And it starts with this. :: the elderly dragon trailed, before he followed her travelling gaze towards her flank. Whilst it still looked vile to a degree, it wasn't as pungently infected as before. The yellow colour of puss had retreated, and the previously putrid scab had begun to be replaced by a far more healthy looking one._

Toothless could not remember smiling so broadly in his entire life.


End file.
